Red Tears
by Dementory
Summary: When Kantarou can't take it anymore, he chooses to do things his own way


Disclaimer: I don't own Tactics. Enjoy!

Red Tears

Kantarou couldn't believe his luck; he had finally found the tengu stronger than an ogre, onikui. That had happened a year ago. But that wasn't where his luck started, that's where it ended.

Kantarou hiccupped and felt his face flush with sudden heat, he reckoned that maybe he should stop drinking sake and go home but he felt the sudden pain in his chest and it wasn't his scar, it was his heart.

He loved his tengu, he was his most important being but his tengu hated him, there and simple. Minamoto Raiko was the source of all this chaos that Kantarou had not predicted when he had stumbled across Haruka's path. Raiko wanted the tengu's memories to surface and wanted the tengu to become the onikui he was for that Kantarou had to release Haruka from their contract.

Kantarou didn't want to; it was not by an means selfish of him though many thought so. The reason why he did not want to was that if he released Haruka then there was bound to be a fight with Raiko and Haruka could get hurt the most, probably Raiko's men will kill Kantarou as well.

He sighed and finished the bottle quickly asking for another one Kantarou went back to his dark thoughts.

Maybe he should just release Haruka and let him do what he wanted after all Haruka was not a child, but that scared Kantarou to no end.

"Hey there pretty thing" Kantarou turned to see two men sitting by him one on each side.

"You looked gloomy so we came to cheer you up" one of the two said as his eyes traveled all over Kantarou's body.

"Are you a monk?" the other asked.

"No, an exorcist/folklorist" Kantarou replied and finished his cup, standing up quickly made his head spin but he did not liked the situation right at the moment.

"We're going to a party and you're the guest of honor" the bigger man said as he grabbed Kantarou by the arm and proceeded on dragging him out of the sake bar.

"Let me go" Kantarou struggled, though he was strong spiritually he had no physical strength plus he was drunk.

"Now, now we're doing you a favor pretty thing" the man said as he threw Kantarou over his shoulder. Kantarou's yells and screams fell deaf to their ears, Kantarou thought of his precious Haruka, the one that hated him.

Hours Later

Hasumi prided himself on his vast knowledge and his marvelous intelligent logical scientific mind; he believed what he could prove with theories and experiments. He wasn't fond on traditional thinkers, such as Ichinomiya Kantarou.

As he walked and complained about his fellow scholar he heard a groan and a hiss of pain. He thought of walking by the alley fast but his heart started beating fast when he saw the traditional priest gown though it was shredded into pieces barely covering the small body, he ran towards the person and his heart skipped a beat when recognized the silver hair wet with fresh and dried blood, beyond that Kantarou was unrecognizable, it seemed every bit of his pale skin was marked by bruises, cuts, bites…

He picked him up carefully covering Ichinomiya first with his jacket. Ichinomiya did not wake up at all even after Hasumi's servants had cleaned and changed Kantarou into clean comfortable clothes. He had already dispatched a servant of his to get word to the Ichinomiya household so they should be here any moment. Couple of hours passed and Hasumi's servant came back empty-handed.

"There's no one at his house" he waited for more instructions he bowed and left after Hasumi gave him another errand.

"Will he be alright Ryoukan?" Hasumi turned to see his daughter Rosalie her wide green eyes were unblinking.

"I don't know but he should wake up soon" Rosalie nodded and sat by Kantarou.

Kantarou awoke but felt no inclination to talk; instead he would brood and stare out the window for most of the day.

"Ichinomiya what happened to you?" Kantarou would only stare off to space and shake off his head as he tried to get rid of his bad memories, his red eyes were wide and frightened.

"You need to eat" Hasumi motioned his servant; she soon brought the warm food by Kantarou's futon.

That's how Kantarou stayed for three days on the fourth day Hasumi found nothing of Ichinomiya, he was gone. Hasumi did not know what to do so he asked his daughter Rosalie to find Ichinomiya's friends. Rosalie found Sugino-san and his friend the foreigner.

"Sugino-san do you have any idea where I could find Ichinomiya's friends?" You know the girl who's always with him and the tall man?" Hasumi asked politely.

"Why?" Sugino asked, he had no idea why this human was so concerned about Kantarou, he himself did not like the young writer.

"I found Ichinomiya five days ago. He was beat up and he stayed at my house for three days then yesterday he left without leaving a note. I tried looking for his friends but found no one" Hasumi waited patiently for Sugino's reply.

"Yokou left the house three months ago and Haruka left six months ago. He lived alone" Sugino felt his face sharpening in thought. What was going on here? He asked himself.

"So you have no idea where Kantarou might have gone?" Sugino asked Hasumi who shook his head slightly. Sugino set out to look for any of the three people in question.

Miles Away

"You have to help old lady. I can't take this pain anymore. I don't know where it went wrong but somehow I think it ended being my fault" Kantarou said as tears fell down freely from his red eyes.

"Are you sure you want this Kantarou-kun?" the old woman looked at the boy in front of her. His eyes held sorrow and she could feel his spirit pulsating with sadness, guilt and pain

"I'll give you two days to purify yourself then come to me Kantarou-kun?" she said slowly, he had helped many now it was her turn to help him.

"Hai" was his quiet reply.

In the Middle of a Forest

"Sugino-sama stop hiding behind the tree and come out" the kitsune said.

"Listen Yokou I have a question why did you leave Kantarou?"

"Because I saw that Haruka-chan left even though he was bound by name to Kan-chan, so I decided to ask Kan-chan to destroy the contract he and I had. He released me and I left" she said as she scratched behind her ears.

"But why now?" Sugino asked confused.

"Because I don't like being bound" she said calmly.

"Do you know where Kantarou is right now?" Sugino asked.

"Nope but I believe he can take care of himself" she flicked her tail and stretched sleepily.

Sugino did not want to mention what had happened to the young human instead he thanked her and flew off, to find onikui. He found him 50 miles from where he had found Yokou he flew down hard, and he became angry.

"You know you are a selfish brat onikui" Haruka turned to face his fellow tengu in wonder.

"What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes and looked away.

"You just like to hurt other people for personal pleasure don't you?" Sugino exclaimed angrily as he waved his hands in the air.

"What did he do to you, huh? Hasn't he been good and let you have freedom? He has offered his home, his heart and his mind to you, Kantarou has been suffering since you left. What are you waiting for, huh? A written invitation?" Sugino took a big breath and waited for his heart to stop pounding. Haruka was in shock that was something he could never had expected from his fellow tengu.

"Kantarou is an adult he can take care of himself" Haruka replied angrily

"You're right onikui he can take care of himself against yokai but what about those of his own kind? Or are you dense and stupid to forget how he is treated because he can see us?" Sugino snapped he couldn't believe his friend was this heartless not after Kantarou had proven time after time how much he cared for onikui.

"Did something happen to Kantarou?" Haruka asked his voice had a slight edge to it.

"As a matter of fact, yes he was attacked six days ago and he disappeared from Hasumi's house two days ago and we don't know where he could be" Sugino said in a more quiet tone, it seemed onikui was more alert now.

Haruka sat and pondered where Kantarou could have gone, he had no idea but then he remembered Yokou was a fox surely she could follow Kantarou's scent. With that idea in motion they both looked for Yokou and told her the details of the current situation, tear eye she agreed on helping them.

Miles Away

"I'm ready old lady" Kantarou took a big breath, he was wearing a ceremonial kimono, it was scarlet with gold trims. Kantarou pondered on his decision as he sat down in the middle of the circle the old woman had made. It's the only way he thought to himself.

The old woman began to chant, Kantarou felt warmth and blinded by the light being emitted. He wondered if this was how Haruka felt when he was being sealed.

Thoughts began to flee from his mind and memories began to flood him before they too gently floated away from his consciousness, the last image he saw before everything became blank was of his house with Yokou, Haruka, Sugino, Muu-chan, Rosalie and Suzu standing in the porch. He smiled tears falling slow and then he knew no more.

The Others

"Is this the place?" Yokou nodded instead of answering to Haruka, they were near a shrine though she had lost the trail seconds ago she knew Kantarou was here. Haruka ran and ran felling he was going nowhere he took flight, something felt wrong and he wanted to know what.

An old woman wearing a ceremonial priest gown was sitting in front of a sealing.

"So you came, he doubted you would ever come" she turned her head towards him, she was blind.

"Where's Kantarou?" he whispered.

"Here, he said to give you this" she gave him a scroll, shaking he took it in his hand and opened it. He recognized Kantarou's writing at once.

_My Dear Haruka_

_If you're reading this then it means that I no longer will see you again._

_I did this by own choice. I was frightened for your safety and I researched_

_a way to save you._

_Do not blame the old woman for it was I who asked her to do it._

_This way you will live though with only pieces of your memories but be _

_alive nonetheless._

_I couldn't bring myself to commit suicide it could have been a cruel fate _

_for you and would have made you hate humans even more._

_Instead I've been sealed I live but I will sleep forever. This way I feel is a _

_better choice for you and me._

_Finally my dear Haruka I have cared and have loved you with my whole _

_being. I'm happy we met even though it brought us pain and suffering._

_I missed you,_

_Ichinomiya Kantarou_

Sugino and Yokou picked up and read the scroll Haruka had dropped as he staggered towards the rock. Laying his hand on it he wailed and cried for his own arrogance, for his own stubbornness and for his own stupidity. He had now lost the most important person in his heart.

Haruka had made the shrine his own home, the old woman had died giving him the right to live there. He could be found late afternoons gazing at the rock and sometimes talking to it. Sugino had tried to cheer him up but with no avail. He dropped though sometimes to visit his friend just to be there for him. Yokou had also made the shrine her home, she could be seen around the rock early mornings then cleaning and cooking for the rest of the day.

When thirty years had passed Haruka started his own research how to unseal the seal. Raikou and his cronies had given up after learning Kantarou's fate, they withered away never to be heard from again.

200 Years Later

There was a bright light and a wind so strong that whipped the nearby tree away, the earth shook and so did the rock it split in two. For a moment that felt like hours there was only silence then out of the light came out a young man wearing a scarlet kimono with golden trims.

"Kantarou" the young man had tears in his red eyes as he recognized the voice.

"Haruka" he whispered hoarsely, the light died away and now in the late of the evening two beings stood facing each other.

Haruka opened his arms and Kantarou ran to them.

"I'm back"

"Welcome Home"


End file.
